Cigarette container and dispenser



Au 22, 1950 H. w. CONLEY 2,519,438

CIGARETTE CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Filed Feb. 20, 1948 lNVENTO/P HOWARD W. CONLEY ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICEv CIGARETTE CONTAINER AND DISPENSER I Howard W. Conley, Detroit Lakes, Minn.

Application February 20, 1948, Serial No. 9,753

2 Claims. (01. 206-413) This invention relates to cigarette containers and dispensers and more particularly to a type which can be conveniently carried in the pocket or purse and from which individual cigarettes can be quickly and conveniently dispensed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simply constructed and compact dispenser which has a minimum of moving parts which can be operated in a very simple manner to effectively dispense cigarettes therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser wherein the assembly of certain of the parts is quickly and cheaply accomplished.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the device;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view therethrough with movable portions thereof shown in full and dotted lines in alternate positions;

Figure 3 is a top plan view; and

Figure 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 44 of Figure 2.

The device shown in the drawing includes a casing A having a lower portion 5 and a removable upper portion 6, the two being detachably connected by an overlapping friction joint indicated at i in Figure 2.

The lower casing portion 5 is hollow and provided with an open top, as shown in Figure 2. Extending between the side walls of the upper casing section 6 is a horizontally disposed partltion 9 which is of a length less than the extent of the side walls .as shown in Figure 2. This partition is also disposed some distance above the lower edge of the upper section 6 so that the cigarette receiving space is provided above the upper edge of the lower section 5 and beneath said partition 9. In the casing section 5 is disposed a vertically collapsible leaf spring 8 which is bent back and forth upon itself and adapted to expand upwardly in the casing.

The upper casing portion 6 includes a pair of spaced upstanding side wall portions 6a which are connected at one end by an end wall 61; and which are unconnected at their opposite ends at the right hand side of Figures 1, 2 and 3 except immediately adjacent the joint I which connects the two casing sections.

Between the upstanding portions 6a, of the upper section 6 is disposed a dispensing lever assembly l0. Said assembly is provided with a pair of oppositely located depressions or indentations ll. Grooves l2 of less depth than the indentations ll extend from said indentations to; the lower edge of the assembly In as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The upstanding portions 6a of the upper casing section 6 are provided with inwardly disposed projections l3 which are receivable in the grooves 12 through which they can be slid until they seat in the indentations I! in said assembly ID. This provides a very simple yet effective pivotal mounting for said assembly I0 which eliminates the need for drilling holes for and inserting a pivot element. The indentations, grooves and projections II, l2 and 13 respectively can be molded with the parts in and on which they are formed.

The assembly l0 includes a portion [4 which extends substantially across the top of the upper casing section 6 and between the upstanding portions Ba of the latter. The portion M has a downwardly disposed end portion [5 which with the right hand ends of the upstanding portions 6a closes that part of the casing.

At the left hand side of the pivotal axis provided by the indentations II and projections l3 and extending downwardly therebelow is a lever l6 which, as shown in Figure 2 in full lines, is adapted to lie behind the uppermost of a stack of cigarettes I! which are urged upwardly by the spring 8. Above and to the left of said pivotal axis the assembly 10 is provided with a finger contacting portion l8 which is exposed at its top and sides by a cutout IS in the upper left hand corner of the upper casing 6, as shown in Figure 1.

The upper section is removed and cigarettes are placed in the lower section by placing them successively down on each other and collapsing the spring 8. The upper section is then attached to the lower section and the dispensing assembly I!) is in the full line position of Figure 2. The left hand end of the uppermost cigarettes shown in Figure 2 will lie against the dispensing lever 16. When the finger contacting portion [8 is pressed downwardly the dispensing assembly ID will swing counterclockwise to the dotted line position of Figure 2, an opening at the upper right hand corner will be exposed by movement of the assembly l0, and the uppermost cigarette will be partially ejected as indicated by the dotted position thereof in Figure 2. That cigarette is then withdrawn and the dispensing assembly I0 is returned by one of the fingers of the user to the full line position of Figure 2, whereupon the then uppermost cigarette is projected into the dispensing position by action of the spring 8.

When the dispensing assembly I0 is assembled with the upper casing section 6 it is necessary only to align the entrant ends of the grooves l2 in said assembly 10 with the projections l3 on the inner faces of the upstanding portions 6a of the upper casing 6. The assembly i0 is then pressed downwardly so that the, projections I; will travel up the grooves and seat in the depressions H. The inherent resiliency of the material from which the upper casing section is formedwill cause the two assembled parts to be held in position. Since the grooves I 2 are directed downwardly, pressure on the fingercontacting portion l8 of the assembly III will have no tendency to unseat the projections [3 from the depressions ll.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, arran e.- ments, and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A cigarette dispenser and container comprising as essential elements only, a casing defining a cigarette storage area therein and hav-- ing a top closure formed across the upper portion thereof, said casing having an opening formed in the upper end portion thereof ad j'acent the top closure partition and positioned to permit endwise ejection of cigarettes there through, a rigid lever pivotally mounted across the, top of. said casing and having a depending closure flange formed at one end thereof and a depending ejection flange formed at. the other end thereof, said flanges being disposed in substantially opposed relation, and being aligned with the ends of the upper cigarette in said storage area when in normal position, resilient means for urging said cigarettes upwardly within said storage area to permit swinging movement of said lever on its pivotal axis to simultaneously shift one of said flanges into engagement with the rear end of the top cigarette to shift the same longitudinally outwardly through said opening and also raise the closure flange from said opening to permit ejection of the cigarette therethrough.

2. A cigarette container and dispenser comprising as essential elements only, a casing having a cigarette storage area formed therein and having a transversely disposed partition formed across the top of said area, resilient means for urging a plurality of cigarettes transversely upwardly in said area to engage the upper cigarette against said partition, the upper portion of said casing having an opening approximating the cross sectional area of a cigarette and substantially aligned. with one end of the uppermost cigarette in said casing, a rigid lever having a pair of; opposed depending flanges formed at the ends thereof pivotally mounted in closely spaced relation to the rear end thereof with the forward free end thereof forming a closure for said open ing and the flange at. the rear end, thereof forming a cigarette engaging follower to positively eject the uppermost cigarette outwardly through said opening by engagement against only the end of the one uppermost: cigarette.

HOWARD W. CONLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are. of record in the file'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,226,591 Primavera et a1 May 15, 1917 1,321,453 Johnson Nov. 11, 1919 1,409,665 Butler Mar, 14, 1922 2,327,120 McCoon Aug, 1'7, 1943 2,411,946 Vogel Dec. 3, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 459,948 Germany Apr. 26, 1928 

